learning, growing

I have been working a lot these days, so I haven't had much time to update the blog. The garden is producing lots of greens, and the strawberries and mulberries and ripening. It's an exciting time, and I love being outside helping all the plants do their thing. Garden workers have been talking about how great the garden looks, and how well everything is growing, and how more people have been out there helping.

I have been making yogurt, and cheese, and tempeh, and helping cook meals. I picked up a couple ranch chore shifts, which involve feeding and watering all the animals. (cows, goats, pigs, chickens.) The broody chickens are laying and hatching baby chicks! I also picked up a laundry shift. I really like having a variety of work, and contributing to different parts of the community.

I have been learning so much! I have learned how to plant and take care of many vegetables and herbs. I have learned how to make compost, how to make yogurt, cheese, and tempeh. I have learned how to cook and bake many things. I have learned how to be respectful of others' space, because we are all sharing so much space. How to be more emotionally open, and feel comfortable being myself, how I am all the time, and accepting people how they are all the time. I live with 67 other people right now, and every person feels like family now. It's amazing. I could never have imagined feeling like SO many people are my family, but I do.

I have been trying to be supportive of a few others lately. There have been some difficult times. There have been some relationship changes involving friends, and hurt feelings from a lot of people involving a new, disruptive member whose membership will be voted on soon. And then an abandoned baby rabbit was found and taken in. Then I accidentally stepped on it, and now it is paralyzed in the back legs. Myself and the owner of the rabbit have been upset, and sad. There's been discussion about putting it down.

I am not always sure what to do or say when others are hurting. I can feel pretty awkward sometimes, but, like I said, I am learning. I am trying to view my experiences as learning opportunities.